Record of the Central Council Meeting

Source: Documents of the First International. The General Council of the First International, 1864-1866. The London Conference 1865. Minutes, published by the Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, for the Centenary of the First International in 1964, p. 263;Written: by Karl Marx on January 16, 1866;First published: in Russian, in Generalny Sovet Pervogo Internatsionala. 1864-1866, 1961.

Marx kept a record of the Central Council meeting of January 16, 1866 on a separate sheet of paper. The text of the minutes entered in the Minute Book by Cremer differs somewhat from that of Marx.

This document was published in English for the first time in The General Council of the First International. 1864-1866, Moscow, 1962.

January 16, 1866

Eccarius in the chair.

Minutes read and confirmed.

Citizens Longuet et Crespelle were nominated members of the Council.

Marx communicated to the Council the receipt by Fox of a letter of thanks by Mrs. O'Donovan for his articles in the Workman’s Advocate [P. Fox, “The British Coup d'État in Ireland”, “The Influence of Irish National Feeling Upon the Relations Between Great Britain and the United States”, “The Irish Difficulty Continued”, The Workman’s Advocate, October 14, 21, 28, 1865] on Fenianism, and the reprint, in the same paper, of the appeal for the support of the convicted Fenians. [“The State Prisoners. An Appeal to the Women of Ireland”, The Workman’s Advocate, January 6, 1866]

Marx proposed Citizen Longuet’s nomination in his place as correspondent for Belgium. Seconded by Jung. Accepted.

Jung read a letter of Dujonquoy (Hotel de New York) requesting the payment of £7 17s. owed to him from the times of the Conference. [The London Conference, September 25-29, 1865]

A discussion followed in which Le Lubez, Jung, Dupont, Wheeler, Lessner, and others took part.

Cremer: The members of the Council and the Association ought [to] pay their cards immediately.

Jung proposes: That Dupont should tell Dujonquoy that the Council having not been largely attended, part of the bill be paid on Wednesday next and a definite answer given. Seconded by Lessner.

Propaganda in different towns of the departments of Calvados, Orne, La Manche.

Mr. Wheeler moves: That notice be given that everyone who does not (renew) pay his card until 15th February, will cease to be member of the Association. (To be advertised in the Advocate.) Seconded by Citizen Jung. Carried.

Werecki (as delegate of the Poles) explains their absence on the Standing Committee. On Monday they had a meeting and got the necessary money together. After some discussion, as to the place of meeting, St. Martin’s Hall, next Monday (22 January), 8 o'clock in the evening.

Cremer read the Appeal to the British Members. Accepted Address. Difficulty as to the signature of the names. Moved subscription-sheets to be printed. Carried on the motion of Wheeler.